When a mobile station served by a wireless network moves from a first wireless coverage area (such as a cell or sector) to a second wireless coverage area while engaged in a call, a handoff may be effected so that the call can be continued via the second wireless coverage area. In many cases, the handoff is performed by making a new wireless connection with the second wireless coverage area before breaking the connection with first wireless network. This “make before break” or soft handoff is generally preferable because the call is less likely to be dropped than when a “break before make” or hard handoff is used.
However, the second wireless coverage area may use different frequencies for forward link signals and/or reverse link signals than are used in the first wireless coverage area. In that case, a soft handoff may not be available. Conventionally, inter-frequency handoffs are hard handoffs or “break before make” handoffs. As a result, conventional inter-frequency handoffs may cause calls to be dropped at an undesirably high rate.